Almost one week in...

There are seals here, that leap up for the fish guts the fishermen toss into the bay, and pelicans, and tribes of baboons that will come into your home and raid your kitchen if you're not cautious. There is also music, unbelievable music, mostly vocal, choral, and very rich.

But mostly what i've found here so far (other than immense, breath-taking natural beauty, like something i'd read about in fairytales) is contradictions.

South Africa is working towards racial equality, but one won't find it here yet. There are three distinct tiers of status based on color. Most of the white people live in rich neaighborhoods, they are a minority, but a very visible one. There are mansions here along the cape like something out of the hollywood hills. Gorgeous, unthinkable homes built, like a miracle, standing strangely out of sheer rock faces. 

And there are Woolworths there, and Gucci shops, and restaurants so decadent one blushes walking by.

 

And then... then there is Khailiche. A sprawling, "temporary" settlement that is home to 1,000,000 black people. These are not the townships of Apartheid times, one is legally free to come and go, and many do, indeed they have to go very far to find work. But there is no money here, and very little education. 

not the simplest of internet situations, so da blog will be sporadic this week. We're both sick... ugh. We're being well taken care of though. We're performing tomorrow and looking forward to it... more soon.

- Abigail